District of



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

S. SGOGNAMILLO- STEAM-ENGINE.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. SGOGNAMILLO.

STEAM ENGINE.

No. 513,830. Patented Jan. 30, 1894.

/l l j2ee/wier I 3 Sheets-Sheet -3. S. SGOGNAMILLO.

(No Model.)

ASTEAM ENGINE.

No. 513,830. Patented Jan. 30, 1894.

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UNITED STATES PATENT muon.

SALVATORE SOOGNAMILLO, OF RICHMOND, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TOALFONSO AMOROSO, YOF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF coLMBIA.

STEAM-ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Iatent No. 513,830, dated January30, 1894.

Application le. August 3, 1893.' Serial No. 482,295. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern: Y

Be it known that I, SALVATORE SooGNA- ivIILLO, a subject of the King ofItaly, residing at Richmond, in the county of Henrico and State ofVirginia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Steam-Engines, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a class of steam engines in which severalgroups of pistons are connected with a cranked engine shaft, and theinvention consists in the features of construction and novelcombinations of parts as hereinafter particularly set forth. In theannexed drawings illustrating the lnvention-Figure 1, is a verticallongitudinal section of my improved steam engine. Flg. 2, is a plan ofthe engine with upper cylinder-casing heads and steam chests removed.Fig. 3 is a plan of the upper casing head, steam chests, valves andeccentric valve gear, with cap removed. Fig. 4 is a vertical transversesection on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on theline 5-5 of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a plan of the inner side of one of thecaps forming part of steam chests and exhaust chamber.

Referring to the drawings the numeral 1 designates a frameworksupporti-ng two cylinder-casings2 in each of which are arranged threestationary open ended cylinders 3, as shown in Fig. 2. Thecylinder-casings 2 are closed at each end, or at top and bottom, byplates 4 and 5 that are extended across and between the cylinder casings2, as shown in Fig. 1. On the outer sides of the plates 4 and 5 arevalve seats 6 eachof which has three ports 7 that communicaterespectively with the ends of the three several engine cylinders 3inclosed by each of the cylinder-casings. To the outer surfaces of theplates 4 and 5 are secured suitably chambered cap pieces S and 9, whichare respectively so arranged as to form, with the plates 4 and 5 andvalve seats 6, a steam chest or steam inlet chamber 10 at both ends ofea'ch cylinder-casing 2 and an intermediate exhaust chamberll betweenthe steam chests at opposite ends of the cylindercasings. v

Each set of cylinder ports 7 is controlled by a slide valve 12, Figs. 1and 3, pivotally attached to one end of a link 13 the other end of whichhas a pivotal or jointed connection With the strap 14 of an eccentric 15mounted ,on a shaft 16 that is rotated from the main ,engine shaft, aspresently explained. It will be understood that there are four preciselysimilar slide valves 12, one at each end of the two cylinder-casings,and that on the shaft 16 are four' eccentrics 15, two being arranged ineach exhaust chamber 11 and each provided with an eccentric strap 14connected with a slide valve. The several eccentrics l5 are set on theshaft 16 in such relative positions that as the said shaft is rotatedthe respective slide valves will be operated in such manner as tosimultaneously admit steam into alternately opposite ends of the twosets of engine cylinders 3 and exhaust at alternately opposite ends.

The steam chests 10 are provided with inlets 17 Fig. 6 from a steam pipeor pipes 18 leading from a main supply pipe 19, Fig. 1, and each exhaustchamber 11 is provided with an outlet to an exhaust pipe 20, Fig. 6, thesaid steam inlet and exhaust pipes being arranged in any suitable orconvenient manner.

.The inner side of each slide valve 12 is provided with suitable groovesor passages 21, shown by dotted lines in Fig. 3, to permit exhaust fromthe engine cylinders 3 to the exhaust chambers 11 when the grooves orpassages in said valves are in communication with the cylinder ports.

In each engine cylinder 3 is a piston head 22 attached to a piston rod23 projecting through suitable packed openings or stuffing boxesprovided in the plate 5 or lower head of the cylinder casings. V

To each set or group of three piston rods is secured a cross-head 24having guide arms 25 that are arranged to reciprocate in guideways 26,Figs. 1 and 5, formed in the bars or standards 1 that constitute theframe of the engine. The cross heads 24 are connected by pitmen 27 tocranks 28 set quartering or at angles of .ninety degrees to each other,on a main engine shaft 29, supported in suitable bearings.

The manner of gearing the main engine shaft 29 with the valve shaft 16is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 4, which also illustrate IOO themechanism for reversing the valves. 'The valve shaft 16 is provided withbearings in the plates 4 and 5 and in a housing 30 that receives a bevelgear 3l secured to one end of said valve shaft in position to mesh witha bevel gear 32 on the main engine shaft.

In order to provide for reversing the valves the shaft 16 is madelongitudinally movable and has secured to it a worin wheel 33 which, bymoving said shaft longitudinally in the proper direction, may be made toengage with a worm 34 on a transverse shaft 35 provided with a handwheel 36 through which the position of the valves may be reversed.

To a suitable support 37 is fulcrumed a foot lever 38 having one endengaged with a collar 39 that surrounds the valve shaft 16 immediatelybelow the worm wheel 33 in position to bear thereon and lift the shaftsufficiently to bring said worm wheel into engagement with the worm 34when the outer end of the lever 33 is depressed. On depressing the lever38 to raise the worm wheel 33 into engagement with the worm 34 the bevelgears 3l and 32, connecting the shaft 16 with the main engine shaft,will be disengaged. By now turning the hand wheel 36 the valves may bereversed or adjusted as desired.

Any suitable fastening may be provided, as indicated by dotted lines inFig. 4 to hold the lever 38 in a depressed position.

For the purpose ofpermitting the required longitudinal adjustment of theshaft 16, preparatory to reversing the valves, the eccentrios 15 areloosely placed on a squared portion 16 of the shaft 16, the uppereccentrics being preferably attached to an internally squared sleeve 16bremovably placed on the upper portion of the squared shaft section 16 soas to permit removal of the upper plate 4, to give access to thecylinders and cylindercasings, without disturbing the eccentrics and theconnected valves.

The cylinder ports 7 are so arranged as to deliver steam directly inline with the several pistons. By arranging a group of engine cylindersand pistons in each of two or more cylinder-casings and connecting theseveral groups of piston rods with the main engine shaft in the mannershown and described economy of space and compactness of structure arecombined with increased capacity for development of power; strains areequalized so as to reduce the liability to a breakdown, and in the eventof any cylinder or piston becoming disabled the engine can still be runelfectively with the others.

If desired the main engineshaft 29 may be connected by gearing 40 withtwo parallel shafts 41 and 42 for driving twin propellers or for otherpurposes.

What I claim as my invention is 1. The combination with a cranked engineshaft, of a group of open ended engine cylinders inclosed in acylinder-casing and provided with pistons, a cross-head connecting theseveral piston rods of a group of pistons,

a pitman connecting said cross-head with a crank on the engine shaft,steam chests at both ends of the cylinder-casing and provided with portsin the ends of the engine cylinders, and slide valves for controllingsaid ports, substantially as described.

2. The combination with an engine shaft having a series of quarteringcranks, o f separate groups of open ended engine cylinders provided withpistons, a cross-head connectin g the several piston rods in each group,pitmen connecting the cross heads with the cranks of the engine shaft,cylinder-casings that inclose the separate groups of engine cylinders,steam chests at both ends of the cylinder-casings, each of said steamchests being provided with ports, slide valves for controlling saidports, exhaust chambers between the steam chests at both ends of thecylindercasings eccentrics located in said exhaust chambers and providedwith straps having link connections with the slide valves, and a shaftconnected with the eccentrics and actuated from the engine shaft,substantially as described.

3. The combination of a cranked engine shaft, engine-cylinders arrangedin separate groups each comprising three open ended cylinders providedwith pistons, cross-heads connecting the piston rods in each group, saidcross heads provided with guide arms, a frame having guide ways for theguide-arms of the cross-heads, pitmen connecting said cross-heads withthe cranks on the engine shaft, cylinder-casings iuclosing the separategroups of engine-cylinders, steam chests at both ends of thecylinder-castings, each provided with valve seats having portscommunicating with the engine-cylinders, and slide valves forcontrolling said ports, substantially as described.

4. The combination of a cranked engine shaft, separate groups of openended enginecylinders provided with pistons, cross-heads connecting thepiston rods in each group, pitmen that connect said cross-heads withcranks on the engine shaft, cylinder-casings inclosing the separategroups of engine cylinders, steam chests and intermediate exhaustchambers at both ends of the cylindercasings, slide valves located inthe steam chests, eccentrics located in the exhaust chainbers andconnected with the slide valves for operating them to admit steam intoalternately opposite ends of the cylinders and to simultaneously exhaustat alternately opposite ends, and reversing mechanism. for shifting `theeccentrics, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a cranked engine shaft, cylinder-casings eachinclosinga separate group of open ended engine cylinders having pistonsconnected with the cranked engine shaft, steam chests and intermediateexhaust chambers at both ends of the cylinder-casings, slide valveslocated in the steam chests, eccentrics located in the exhaust chambersand connected with the slide valves to and cause it togear with the wormshaft for reversing the engine, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set 15 my hand in presence of twosubscribing Witnesses.

SALVATORE SCOGNAMILLO.

Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NoRRIs, ANGELO AMASSINO.

